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Old 01-11-2018, 11:32 AM   #14
Twolunger
Quote:
Originally Posted by Karl_Mcknight View Post
Do you have any "Proof" that thermostats fail in an off position?

I have researched this and found they can and do fail in both the open and closed position.

And if it did fail while "On" according to you, this will not hurt the corn snake, and if it failed in the "Off" position according to a lot of other people, corn snakes can and do tolerate room temperatures just fine.

So how is either case detrimental to the snake?

In reality, the heat pad adds to the Comfort of the snake, and possibly the long term health, but if the thermostat fails for a day or two, it's probably no big deal.

After saying all this, I have used both Cheap Thermostats and Rheostats, and currently have a pretty nice more expensive thermostat, and in 42+ years of keeping snakes, I've never had a thermostat to fail.
Thermostats do indeed fail in either position, however, it is more common to have them fail in the off position. Boa and python breeders recognize that fact and often use what they call "redundancy," a back up thermostat on their systems. Failing in the on position can be a disaster, and I have read reports of fires or damage to rack systems because of heat tapes or cables. A friend of mine had his shed burn to the ground because of a failed thermostat. The typical forum member doesn't have to worry about that, but should monitor the heat in the vivarium often, or take notice of a change in their snake's usual hide preference. If a corn prefers a hide on the warm side but stays as far away from it as possible, you should investigate. I have used unregulated UTH on my glass vivs in the past, but my ambient room temperature was kept at a constant 78 degrees. Checking the warm side of the viv showed a temp of 84, which didn't fluctuate. For those living in the north their ambient room temps could be as low as 68-72, thus more heat would be required in the viv. The heat could be provided by using a larger UTH and regulating it. Some may opt for a heat bulb, and while I wouldn't suggest it, I can guarantee someone is using one as I type this. The one thing most of us can agree upon is that proper heat is necessary for our corn snake's comfort, and extremely necessary for proper food digestion. As I have mentioned in the past, I don't trust any electrical device, so have thermometers with alarms. I test them often too.